Saturday rundown: Takeaways from Week 6's top games

theScore runs down the top storylines and developments from Saturday's college football games and what it all might mean moving forward.

Alabama wins, but Ole Miss makes great impression

The master Nick Saban once again topped one of his former assistants Saturday, but Lane Kiffin has made it clear that Ole Miss will be noticed under his watch. Saban improved to 21-0 against coaches who used to serve on his staff as Alabama pulled away late in Oxford to register the 63-48 victory. DeVonta Smith was unstoppable in the passing game, catching 13 balls for 164 yards, while Najee Harris ran all over the Rebels for 200-plus yards and five touchdowns.

Kiffin showed his offensive genius throughout the contest, dialing up multiple big plays, including a 68-yard touchdown to Kenny Yeboah. The Rebels' 48 points are the most any former Saban assistant has scored on his old boss in 21 tries. Ole Miss has plenty of weapons in the ground game with Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy, while Elijah Moore and Yeboah present strong options in the passing attack. The defense still has a long way to go, but through Kiffin's three games, it's clear that Ole Miss will be a very entertaining team to watch - both on and off the field.

The Clemson train rolls on

With No. 7 Miami coming to town, it seemed like Saturday would present the best ACC challenge in years for No. 1 Clemson. Like they have in virtually every conference game in recent memory, the Tigers quickly ended those thoughts.

Clemson's stars shone as both Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne reminded everyone why they will be high draft picks next April. Lawrence showcased his elite arm talent throughout the night, while Etienne set a new FBS record by scoring a touchdown in his 39th different game.

While the offense will get the praise, the Tigers' defense was the most impressive unit on the field, completely shutting down D'Eriq King and Miami's attack. King passed for just 121 yards, and the vaunted Hurricanes rushing attack failed to crack 100 yards. Saturday's performance yet again proved Dabo Swinney's team is by far the most complete in the country.

We got carried away with Mississippi State

K.J. Costello for the Heisman! Mike Leach and the Air Raid offense will work wonders in the SEC! The accolades came in fast and furious after Costello's record-setting performance versus LSU, but both the Mississippi State quarterback and new head coach have come crashing down to earth since then.

After last week's shocking loss at home to Arkansas, the Bulldogs laid another egg on the road, failing to score a point on offense in a 24-2 loss at Kentucky. Costello averaged over 10 yards per completion in his 623-yard, five-touchdown performance against LSU, but he's averaging less than 5 yards a pass in the two games since. After a dismal four-interception performance versus the Wildcats, the Stanford transfer now has seven picks against one touchdown in his last two contests.

Leach even benched his starting quarterback for a brief spell in the third quarter, hoping to spark the offense. It's probably safe to pull the plug on any Costello-for-Heisman chatter after Saturday's outcome.

Georgia issues harsh reminder to SEC East

Tennessee had reason to feel confident heading into Georgia on Saturday while riding an eight-game winning streak. The Volunteers turned in a brilliant first half, taking a 21-17 lead to the locker room thanks to an impressive goal-line stand to end the second quarter. Georgia then reminded everyone that it's still the king of the SEC East.

The Bulldogs absolutely dominated their opponents from that point, outscoring Tennessee 27-0 to make a statement with a 44-21 win. The defense once again led the charge, forcing three turnovers and holding the Volunteers to just 56 total yards in the final 30 minutes. Tennessee's offensive line was no match for the Bulldogs' brutal pass rush, making it virtually impossible for Jarrett Guarantano to operate under center.

Georgia's display on Saturday - combined with Florida's loss to Texas A&M - should go a long way toward convincing people that the Bulldogs will win the SEC East title for a fourth straight year.

The Red River Showdown was bananas

The State Fair of Texas wasn't happening, there was limited capacity in the stands, and the teams entered with a combined 1-3 record in conference play. The stakes may not have been as high as usual, but the Red River Showdown between Oklahoma and Texas never disappoints.

A sloppy first half that saw Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler get benched before returning eventually gave way to a wildly entertaining second half. Oklahoma blew a double-digit lead for the third straight game, with Sam Ehlinger's late touchdown pass capping a 21-point comeback for Texas to force overtime.

Things only got wilder in the extra sessions, with the Longhorns quarterback sending the contest to a third overtime with an incredible 25-yard touchdown run.

Gabe Brkic, the normally reliable Sooners kicker, missed a potential game-winning 31-yard field goal in triple overtime, but Tre Brown's interception secured the 53-45 win for Oklahoma in the fourth extra frame. The 98 combined points are the most during the lengthy series history between the two teams.

It might not have been the prettiest football we've ever seen when Oklahoma and Texas meet, but it was definitely among the most entertaining games in a long time.

Jimbo finally gets his top-5 win

Jimbo Fisher has officially recorded a top-five win at Texas A&M. The highly paid coach posted his first victory over a top-five opponent on Saturday, with the Aggies roaring back to down No. 4 Florida 41-38 on a last-second field goal.

Fisher previously produced an 0-7 mark against top-five opponents, but he was 7-1 in his career versus Florida entering Saturday. Texas A&M absolutely gashed the Gators' defense, further exposing a unit that struggled over the first two weeks of the season. Isaiah Spiller ran all over Florida for 174 yards and two scores, while Kellen Mond threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns. The Aggies improve to 2-1 with the win, and next up is a very favorable three-game stretch against Mississippi State, Arkansas, and South Carolina as the team pushes for the top of the SEC West.

Meanwhile, another defensive disaster for the Gators will raise a number of questions for coordinator Todd Grantham. Florida has now allowed over 540 yards of offense in two of its three games, putting an extraordinary amount of pressure on a high-powered offense to keep up.

Kyle Trask was strong once again for Dan Mullen's outfit on Saturday, throwing four more touchdown passes during a homecoming of sorts in Texas. But the Gators' lack of a running attack made their offense too one dimensional. Florida is still firmly in the mix for an SEC title, but an embattled defense needs major changes fast.

LSU's defense has a long way to go

With a record-tying 14 players drafted into the NFL last year, the 2020 season was expected to be somewhat of a rebuilding campaign for LSU. Still, with a starting schedule of Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Missouri, it's not likely many figured the Tigers would start 1-2 for the first time since 1994.

In a game moved to Missouri due to the threat of Hurricane Delta, the Tigers' offense and Myles Brennan were more than up to the task. The defense? Not so much. Quarterback Connor Bazelak torched LSU's secondary for 406 yards and four touchdowns, with eight different Missouri players catching passes. A late goal-line stand led to the winning play for Missouri, but new LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini will face the most questions after this one.

The veteran coach was brought in to replace Dave Aranda at a hefty price tag of $2.3 million per year. In his first game, KJ Costello threw for an SEC record 623 yards. Bazelak, a redshirt freshman, hadn't thrown a touchdown pass this season, but he completed 85 percent of his attempts against Pelini's defense.

"We couldn't stop anybody. Really a poor showing on defense," head coach Ed Orgeron said, according to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura. "We have to coach better, No. 1. It starts with me. Players have to make plays. We couldn't stop the run, receivers wide open down the field. It was embarrassing. We have to get it fixed."

Three of LSU's next four games are against Florida, Auburn, and Alabama. Without big strides from the defense, it might not be an enjoyable month for LSU's faithful.